


Soft (your hand in mine).

by mkhhhx



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, High School, Love Confessions, M/M, Sakura (Cherry Blossoms), Spring, Talking About the Past, Tenderness, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-01-05 08:46:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18362606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mkhhhx/pseuds/mkhhhx
Summary: Love stories start in all kinds of ways. For Minhyuk and Jooheon it's all thanks to some rain.





	Soft (your hand in mine).

**Author's Note:**

  * For [happycakeycake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/happycakeycake/gifts).



> Prompt by happycakeycake:
> 
> a tender springtime romance with the fragrance of cherry blossoms filling the air and the distance between their fingers slowly growing closer and closer.  
> -  
> feel free to base it off of the sweet highschool atmosphere in "rough" and the whole chasing for something beloved through time.
> 
> Music URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VKcLPdY9lI
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you will enjoy this! <3

It’s a slow afternoon. Minhyuk is lazing on the couch, their cat purring loudly nested at his feet and Jooheon is at the small kitchen, making hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and marshmallows, just the way Minhyuk loves it.

Minhyuk’s laptop is at on coffee table, a tab with soft jazz music open. He wasn’t too keen on it until he saw how it put Jooheon in such a good mood and slowly, Minhyuk started liking it too.

“Want some cookies, baby?” Jooheon asks and Minhyuk makes an affirmative noise, cuddling one of the pillows. It’s spring, but it’s still somewhat cold. It doesn’t really bother Minhyuk though, because he has one more reason to hug Jooheon all day long when they are together.

At last Jooheon comes back, setting the mugs and the plate with the cookies on the table and then laying on top of Minhyuk, their cat leaving for the unoccupied armchair. There’s barely space for Minhyuk, so with the addition of Jooheon he gets squeezed on the couch and wiggles until they are facing each other so he can litter Jooheon’s face with kisses. They have time to cuddle until their chocolates get to a drinkable temperature anyway.

“So tired” Jooheon exhales, “work was hell.” He buries his face in Minhyuk’s neck, nosing all the ticklish spots.

“Let’s take the car and get out of the city for a picnic tomorrow” Minhyuk hugs him with both arms and legs, keeping him as close as he can. “And we can go for a movie on Sunday.” He kisses the shell of Jooheon’s ear, rubbing comforting circles at his back.

“Yes” Jooheon whispers, “I’d love that.” He inhales, taking in Minhyuk’s after-shower scent and smiling against his skin.

And that’s what Minhyuk loves about them, the slow Friday nights and the full weekends. Their cat trying to nuzzle between them on the couch and the steam of hot chocolate. The low jazz and Jooheon showing his love in the most subtle ways and simple words. And Minhyuk wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jooheon is slowly falling asleep on him and as much as Minhyuk wants to let him, even try to carry him to the bed afterwards like he has tried –and failed- so many times before, he doesn’t want Jooheon to doze off so early and mess his schedule. So he thinks of ways he can keep him awake and entertained.

The easiest would be putting some movie on, but there’s no way he’s moving so much. Not when Jooheon seems so comfortable. Minhyuk presses a kiss at the crown of his head, close to tearing up with how precious his boyfriend is. His boyfriend of almost nine years.

He thinks of how they have their anniversary soon. And how he would have proposed already if they could get married. Maybe for their tenth year he can buy them tickets to Paris. Have the ring hidden somewhere in his luggage and get on one knee for Jooheon in front of the Eiffel tower. He smiles at the thought, he should certainly start saving up soon. But for this anniversary, a dinner at Jooheon’s favourite restaurant and then walking across the Han river holding hands is good too. Sitting at the grassy banker and kissing slowly, watching the lights of the city flicker.

Jooheon lets out the tiniest snore, his hands balled and holding Minhyuk’s shirt.

Minhyuk looks around the room, the sun already down and soft light spreading from a lamp next to the Tv. There are some framed photos there. Jooheon giving a piggy back to Changkyun at the university campus. Minhyuk with Hyunwoo drunk at some karaoke. A photo of Jooheon’s graduation, Minhyuk proud by his side.

“My love” Minhyuk wakes Jooheon up, runs a finger atop his spine, “tell me.”

“Tell you what?” Jooheon mutters and Minhyuk manhandles him to a sitting position and gives him a cookie.

“When did you realise you were in love with me?”

Jooheon munches down, legs crossed and the fleece duvet they always keep around the couch on his lap. Minhyuk takes the first sip of his chocolate and waits, watches how Jooheon focuses, tries to think because it’s been so long and at the same time starts blushing, a small shy smile on his lips.

“I think the first time I thought about it was when we were watching the cherry blossoms together at the lake, do you remember?”

Minhyuk giggles, because he remembers too clearly. At that time he barely understood what falling in love was, even if he was already feeling it himself too.

 

 

They grew up at some village, so practically Minhyuk knew Jooheon ever since they were old enough to get out of their houses and play together with all the neighbourhood kids at the streets. And despite that, they weren’t close friends or anything of the sort. Nothing special until high school.

Minhyuk was president of the anime club and Jooheon was at the choir. Minhyuk was a known troublemaker while Jooheon was constantly on top of his class. They would have probably never paid much attention to each other if it wasn’t for some rain.

It was a late winter afternoon. Minhyuk was just done with the club, sitting under the gates of the school yard and praying the heavy rain would stop, because of course he had forgotten his umbrella and of course his mum would shout at him if he went back home all wet and muddy. He would surely catch a cold too, on top of all this.

And it just so happened that Jooheon was dismissed from the choir at that time, stepped out of the building and opened his umbrella. And their eyes met and of course Jooheon knew where Minhyuk lived and he could guess he didn’t bring an umbrella too.

“Hey, hyung!” Jooheon had shouted and shook his umbrella. “I’ll take you home.”

And that was the start. Minhyuk kept going home with Jooheon after that, maybe because he felt like he owned him something, or plainly because Jooheon, the quiet choir kid was actually way more interesting than he seemed.

From there, until the blossoms, it was just a few seasons away.

Getting home together eventually became spending time with each other at recess and bicycling out of the town at weekends. It became Minhyuk visiting the choir and clapping hard after every performance along with the parents of the kids and Jooheon visiting the anime club and sitting quietly, listening to Minhyuk and his friends fighting about the best anime girl.

And one day Jooheon said, “maybe there must be a favourite anime boy too” and someone replied that they are not attracted to boys and Jooheon had giggled nervously.

And something had clicked in Minhyuk.

And that first winter of being friends passed just like that, gave way to spring and all the flowers and colours it would bring.

Few were the attractions of their town, but the blossom trees were certainly one of them. Minhyuk was used to them by the time he was sixteen, and yet, watching them with Jooheon made his stomach flip in weird ways.

They would sit at the school yard and talk and watch the petals fall almost every day and yet, Minhyuk knows exactly which was the one time Jooheon is talking about. The moment Jooheon fell in love with him.

It was a Sunday and they had taken off with their bikes for the lake close to their town. Had tore themselves chasing frogs and splashing around for the best part of the morning. They were sitting at the edge of the lake, the sun warm above them and their legs in the water, thighs pressed together.

It was quiet for long and Jooheon was watching the trees all around the lake and the petals floating around. And Minhyuk was watching Jooheon, the way his eyes lit up and his lips curled. He didn’t know why, yet, but he already knew Jooheon was special, a special person for him.

“It’s beautiful” Minhyuk had said, talking about the scenery, with his eyes pinned on Jooheon, his deep dimples and his soft cheeks.

And Jooheon had turned to look at him, a weird expression on his face. There was silence again, but tension was filling the air.

“You’re even more beautiful.” Jooheon had muttered, so quiet Minhyuk could have missed it.

And for the first time in his life, Minhyuk felt like he wanted to kiss someone. And Jooheon looked like he wanted to kiss him too, but they were too young and too scared and so, they stayed there, splashing water on each other and watching the blossom petals land on the lake.

 

 

“And you? When was it? Jooheon asks, cuddling on Minhyuk’s side.

Minhyuk has to think extra hard. Because it wasn’t a single moment when he felt he was in love. It was a process of countless, tiny moments, creating a gigantic puzzle.

Falling in love with Jooheon was easy, as natural as waking up every morning. It was long walks in the middle of the night and retreating to each other’s houses when they fought with their parents. It was Jooheon kissing his cheeks to wish him happy birthday when he turned seventeen and Minhyuk making the worst looking cake when Jooheon turned sixteen.

It was sharing one umbrella and play-fighting, rolling on the grass next to the lake. It was Jooheon looking at Minhyuk like he was the most beautiful piece of art in the universe and Minhyuk hearing Jooheon’s singing voice in his dreams.

So there wasn’t a moment. Minhyuk just knew he had fallen in love, slowly, steadily and just like the seasons changed and the trees turned shades of soft pink, Minhyuk’s feelings were blossoming too.

And despite every green light along the way, they were still so unsure after almost two years, all shy gazes and fleeting touches. Yet, it was obvious they both wanted something more.

“It must have been around the start of my third year in high school.” Minhyuk dips his cookie in the hot chocolate.

“And you didn’t say anything for so long!” Jooheon whines.

“I thought you knew!” Minhyuk argues, “and also you didn’t tell me anything as well.”

 

 

Minhyuk was the one to make the first big move. It was a few nights before his graduation and he had already realised he should talk to Jooheon. Because maybe he was young and naïve to already think of a shared future for them, but well, it worked out at the end.

They were at Minhyuk’s porch, his parents already asleep and all the surrounding houses lacking any light. Like they were the only people in the whole world.

“Did you send your university applications?” Jooheon asked, pressing onto Minhyuk’s side.

“No…not yet” Minhyuk had prepared his words so many times. He had tracked down every word he wanted to say to Jooheon, but when the moment came, he forgot everything. “I think I’ll stay here to work the next year.”

“Ae you gonna wait for me?” Jooheon had laughed, with something like hope hidden in his voice.

And Minhyuk was in love, so much in love with him that the thought of going away and leaving him behind hurt so much.

“Yeah.” Minhyuk took Jooheon’s hand into his own, skin even softer than what he felt in his dreams when Jooheon was cupping his face to kiss him right before he woke up.

“There’s nothing to do here, hyung.” Jooheon was dreaming of going to Seoul to study music. Minhyuk would follow him there, if only Jooheon would want him to.

Minhyuk felt he was running out of time. It was now or never and he gathered all the courage he had.

“I like you.” He had whispered, eyes staring at the lawn of their garden.

Jooheon had squished his hand and Minhyuk had heard him taking in a deep breath.

“I like you too, hyung.”

And Minhyuk had kissed Jooheon’s cheek and leaned on his shoulder, talked about how he was gonna save up money so they could leave together for Seoul the next year until the sun peeked up from the horizon.

And the rest was history. Their first kiss next to the lake a freezing March morning. Minhyuk buying tickets to Seoul a month after Jooheon graduated. Settling into their first apartment together and studying with part time jobs. Finding a stray cat and raising it together.

 

 

And back to their living room Jooheon gets so worried when Minhyuk starts sobbing quietly.

“What is it?” He asks, drying the tears off of Minhyuk’s cheeks with the sleeve of his shirt.

“Nothing” Minhyuk answers, a moment before he starts hiccupping. “I was just thinking, we should go back to watch the blossoms this year.”

And Jooheon’s dimples are deep into his cheeks when they kiss again and Jooheon promises him that yes, he can take some days off work to go camping at their favourite lake.

 

 

 


End file.
